Police-handcuff



(No Model.) 4

E. D. BEAN.

A y POLICE HANDGUPF. No. 268,171. Patented Nov. 28, 1882.

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` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' EDWARD DAVIS BEAN, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

POLICE-HA'NDCUFF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,171, dated November 28, 1882.

' Application tiled September 1, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD DAvrs BEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Police-Handcu's; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specitication.

It often occurs in the attempt of a policeman to arrest and manacle an offender that the handcu'becomesin the struggle accidentally closed and locked before the officer can succeed in placing it about his prisoners wrist, and when this occurs it is a matter of time and difficulty to unlock the instrument, and more chance is afforded the offender to 'escape from the control of the officer.

The object of this invention is to prevent accidental or premature locking of a handcuft by providing it with a lock containing an adjustable stop controlled by a readily-accessible thumb-knob, by means of which the latch or bolt of the lock is restrained from engaging the hasp until such time as the oicer shallrelease them by pressure upon said thumb-piece.

The drawings accompanying this specication represent, in Figure 1, a side view of a handcuft' embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an underneath view with the outside casing removed, while Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections with the holding-fingers or latches in different positions.

In said drawings, A B represent the two portions or arms of a handcu", pivoted together at b, practically as heretofore in self-locking instruments of this kind. In carrying out my present invention I pierce the free end of one arm, B, which constitutes the hasp of the lock, with several transverse. rows, a a, Src., ot'pockets ot' uniform size, and I form upon the adjacent end ofthe opposite arm, A, a hollow head, b, which constitutes the case of the lock, the pierced end of the arm B being adapted to e11- ter such case.

the drawings.

of the lock-case, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 ot' A spur,f, extendsinward from the nose ofeach latch c, such spur being adapted to en ter the respective pockets a in the hasp B, and thereby lock the latter.

To hold back the series of bolts or latches from entering the holes of the hasp I employ a sliding stop, which is a thin plate, g, contained within the outer part ot' the lock-case adjacent to the noses ofthelatches ce, this stopplate being forced inward by suitable springs, h h, to such an extent as to extend inside of such noses when permitted to do so.

To operate the stop-plateg, I employa thumb piece or knob, i, disposed upon the outside of the cover or cap j ot the lock-case, and connected with the stop-plate by a stem, k, which plays within a longitudinal slot, l, in said cap or cover j.

In preparing this handcu" for use a suitable key containing bits adapted to raise the latches or wards'c c is inserted in the lock, the stop-` plate g pushed away from over the noses of said latches c c, and the latter, by means ofthe key, raised above such stop-plate, when the key is removed and the plate-forced inward by its springs beneath the latches, and holds the spurs ff ot' the latter up above the path ot' movementiof the hasp B, thus allowing such hasp to enter and leave the lock-case without restraint.

When about to manacle a prisoner the officer keeps the thumb ot'one hand upon the knob t' until he succeeds in passing the instrument about the prisoners wrist, when he pushes such knob outward, thereby releasing the latches c c, Src., and permitting their spursj'f, Sto., to enter the adjacent pockets in the hasp, and thus lock the latter.

In the event ofitsv being found that the plain slot l in the cap of the lock-case allows ot' too ready movement of the knob 1., a slot having IOO one or more turns may be employed-for instance, after the manner ofthe slot of a bayonet-connection or ordinary door-bolt case.

I have shown the body of the bracelet as composed of two arms or sections pivoted together at adjacent ends. In some instances I purpose employing more than two sections, in order to obtain greater flexibility, to adapt the instrument, among other uses, to the purposes of a collar encircling the neck of the wearer, as it occasionally becomes desirable to hold a person7s hands at an elevation about his Waist, which may be done by connecting the handcuffs upon his wrists With the collar about his neck.

In lieu ofthe pockets a a, 8vo., in the hasp B, a series of transverse saw-toothed ledges may be employed; but I prefer the pockets.

I claim l. In handcuffs or like articles, the two arms pivoted together, one of said arms lia-ving'a series of pockets, and the other arm being provided with a series of spring-pressed latches or bolts arranged in a row corresponding with said pockets, said latches or bolts being adapted to enter and'engage said pockets, and provided with adjustable mechanism to hold said latches out ot' engagement with said pockets, substantiallyr as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The arm or section A, provided at one end with the lock-case b, in combination with the arm or hasp B, pivoted to said arm A, and having pockets at the end which enters said lockcase, the swinging latches adapted to enter and engage said pockets, and the adjustable stop-plate g, substantially as and for the purpose set'forth.

3. In combination with the lockcase b, latches c c, and stopplate g, the thumb piece or knob i, located outside of such case, and connected with the stop-plate by a stud or shank which is adapted to traverse a slot iu the cap of said lock-case.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. l

EDWARD DAVIS BEAN.

XVitnesses:

H. E. Lonen, F. CURTIS. 

